Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.

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Loch Lomond

Introduction

The Scottish folk-song Loch Lomond (or The bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond) was first published in 1841 in Vocal Melodies of Scotland. According to Scottish tradition, the words imply that when a Scotsman dies his soul travels to Scotland before passing on to the next world. Thus the high road pertains to the living and the low road to the dead. However, the original lyrics amounted to a Jacobean lament after the Battle of Culloden. According to one of the many interpretations based on this specific historical context, Loch Lomond is sung by the lover of a captured Jacobite rebel who is to be executed in London after a show trial. The executed rebels’ heads would be stuck on pikes and displayed at major towns along the main road (or 'high road') between London and Edinburgh, while relatives would walk back along the low road used by commoners.